Every job has its risks. Yet, some professions are inherently more dangerous than others. You may not think about it at first, but the nursing field is more treacherous than many people realize. In fact, 2020 saw a nearly 300% increase in workplace injuries and illnesses that affected nurses, with more than 78,000 workplace injuries and illnesses being suffered. Although a lot of this increase may have been attributable to COVID, that’s a threat that continues to attack nurses in the workplace. And there are several other risk factors that render the profession dangerous. Let’s look at some of them so that you know what to look out for while on the job.
What makes nursing a high-risk profession?
Nurses face workplace hazards on a daily basis, any one of which could knock them out of work for a significant period of time, causing them to lose wages and forcing them to incur medical expenses and rehabilitation costs. Here are some of the most common dangers posed to nurses:
- Musculoskeletal injuries: The physical demands of a nursing job can be taxing. Lifting heavy equipment can lead to pulled muscles, sprained ligaments and slipped discs. Any of these injuries can be severe enough to knock you out of work for a considerable time.
- Exposure to disease: COVID and other illnesses regularly circulate in healthcare environments. But nurses can be exposes to other more serious diseases. A needle prick, for example, could cause a nurse to contract HIV, hepatitis C or hepatitis B, among other serious conditions. These diseases can carry severe long-term consequences that affect a nurse’s ability to work and live a normal life.
- Slip and fall accidents: Hospital floors can become slick in a matter of moments. Given that nurses are on their feet almost all day, they can be prone to slipping on spilled fluids, resulting in head and neck injuries, broken bones and muscle, ligament and tendon injuries. The same can occur when nurses trip over medical equipment and beds.
- Workplace violence: Violence in the healthcare setting is more common than people realize. Patients can flail as they agonize in pain, become upset when they are given a dire diagnosis or experience side effects from a prescribed treatment, or suffer from a medical condition that renders them unstable. Regardless, due to their frequent presence and close proximity, unruly patients often lash out at nurses, leaving them with serious injuries.
What should you do if you’ve been harmed in your nursing job?
If you’ve been injured or contracted an illness on the job that prevents you from working, then you need to find a way to protect your financial interests. Doing so will allow you to focus on regaining your health and getting back to work. It can also ensure that you’re not left financially unstable because of something that happened in the workplace. The best way to protect your interests here is to pursue a workers’ compensation claim.
To succeed on one of these claims, you’ll have to present persuasive evidence that demonstrates that your condition was a direct result of your job activities. You’ll also have to show the nature and extent of your injuries while clearly articulating how they prevent you from working. You should be prepared to address any pre-existing conditions you have, and you need to be careful with what you say to your employer’s insurance company regarding the accident.
So, even though the workers’ compensation system might seem straightforward and that benefits are easy to seize, the process can be more complex than you think. And if you make a mistake, you may be denied the compensation you need. Therefore, if you want to preserve your claim and protect your interests as fully as possible, then now is the time to read up on the workers’ compensation system and what you can do to build the most compelling case possible under your unique set of circumstances.